Escaping the Friendzone
by kakasakuXxXzutara
Summary: Zuko has been in some tough situations throughout his life and he's always managed an escape, but can he find a way out this time? With the help of his friends, he just might be able to escape the worst place he's ever been. The Friendzone. rated T just to be sure
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my very first fanfic I have EVER written. I've been reading fanfiction for years but just decided not that long ago to finally give writing a shot. I hope you guys like it and if you have any advice or criticism, pleeeease leave a review! I want to become a better writer if I can and would love the help so please read and tell me what you think :)

* * *

"_I can't believe it's been 5 years already" _thought Katara as she got ready for the day ahead of her.

It's been exactly 5 years since the end of the war and the gaang is getting back together again at Zuko's summer home on Ember Island. They always made sure to get together for a week or so around this time of year.

Katara is excited to see all her old friends again. After the war, Aang has been so busy flying around the world on Appa keeping the piece, that they hardly ever saw each other anymore.

Toph has become one of the most respected earth benders in the world and has been busy in Ba Sing Se teaching metal bending to the dai li.

Sokka and Suki had gotten married soon after the war and moved back to the Southern water tribe so Sokka could eventually take over the position of Chief from their Dad, but Katara just couldn't go with them. After seeing the world and meeting so many new people, she just didn't feel right about going back to a world without the beauty of trees and flowers and every other beautiful thing she'd seen during her journey with the Avatar.

The only problem with not moving back was that she had no idea where she could stay. That problem didn't last very long however, because Zuko was able to get her a position as representative of the Southern water tribe in the Fire nation. After all, now that they were trying to keep peace between the nations, it would make sense to have the opinions of various regions close by.

It didn't take long for Katara to get ready and soon she was walking towards the docks to watch for her friends' arrivals. As she walked her mind wandered to the man she now considered her best friend.

"_I really don't know what I would've done without Zuko. I mean, not only did he get me my position, he even offered to let me live at the palace."_

And life at the palace was great. She would go to meetings and would give her opinion on certain plans whenever she was consulted. After the war she was very well respected and no one ever dared interrupt her when she spoke. Part of that may be due to how angry Zuko would get if he saw any disrespect aimed at Katara.

He truly was her best friend. When there weren't any meetings to be had and no paperwork to be done, they would spend their time walking through the gardens that surrounded the palace and just talked. They talked about everything. They could share every doubt or worry they ever had and the other was always there to listen.

As she approached the docks, she noticed that Zuko was already there waiting for any sign of their friends.

"Hey Zuko" she said with a smile as he turned to look at her.

"Hey Katara" he greeted her just as warmly as she walked towards him. He couldn't help but look at her a little longer than he should have.

"Any sign of them?"

"No, not yet, but Aang should be here any minute with Sokka and Suki"

Just as he said this they caught a glimpse of something on the horizon. As it got closer, they could easily recognize the big lovable flying bison. It only took about a minute for them to reach the docks.

Zuko watched as Aang and Suki jumped off of Appa before he had even landed and Aang wrapped Katara in a big friendly hug. "I've missed you sooo much, Katara! I have so many stories to tell you!"

"I missed you too Aang, and I can't wait to hear all about it" she said smiling at her old friend. Even though he is now 17 and is much taller than Katara, he's still the same as the happy and excited kid he was five years ago.

Aang was soon pushed away and replaced by Suki,"This is from everyone back home. Gran Gran, your Dad, and everyone else sends their love and they all wanted me to make sure I tell you they miss you very much!"

"I miss them all too! Make sure you give everyone extra big hugs and tell them they're from me, ok?"

"No problem" Suki said with a huge smile on her face. Then they started talking about all the water tribe gossip going around and that's when Zuko zoned out, not that he could have stayed there long anyway.

"Zuko!"

He barely had time to react before he was tackled by a "man hug" from Sokka. During the time they spent together before the war, they became pretty close friends. They started talking and it didn't take long for them to get into a very passionate discussion about weaponry. Sokka wanted to know all about the latest innovations the fire nation had made and Zuko was glad to tell him all about it.

He was so into the conversation, he didn't even notice the huge ship sail up to the dock.

"Toph!" he heard Aang yell.

"Hey twinkle toes, long time no see" They turned to see a much taller Toph standing on the dock. It wasn't long before they were all gathered around and there were greetings and hugs everywhere.

"Woah Toph what happened to you? Last year you were all short and stubby!"

Sokka definitely deserved the hard punch in the arm he received from Toph after that comment.

After Sokka recovered and he and Toph had a short argument, they all started talking about their lives. They had been talking together for almost an hour when Zuko decided it was time to head back to the house.

"Alright guys grab your bags and lets go get you guys settled in."

And so they all started the walk up to the house, talking and laughing the whole way there.

* * *

After they decided on rooms and everyone got their things upstairs to their room, everyone gathered in the living room and Aang was telling everyone about one of the adventures he had while he was in the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko tried to listen, but he was having a little bit of trouble concentrating on Aang with Katara sitting right next to him.

He didn't know exactly when it happened, but he had fallen for his best friend. He had always thought she was beautiful even when they were enemies, but this was different. Sometimes, when he did paperwork, he noticed that he stopped writing without realizing it because he has been daydreaming about her. Again. And when they go on their walks, he doesn't feel like he has to hide any of his feeling like he does around everyone else. He trusts her completely, and that is a strange feeling for him. Even when he was with Mai, he had to keep his feeling in check just to make sure she didn't get mad and blow up in his face."

"Zuko. Zuuuko… hey Sparky!" He jumped at the sound of Toph's voice and noticed everyone staring at him.

"Did I miss something?"

Toph just rolled her eyes and said, "We were asking how being 'mighty Firelord Zuko' has been."

"Oh, it's uhh, good I guess. It can get pretty stressful at times running a whole nation and everything though"

Sokka got a huge smile on his face then. "Ya know what I think? I think you need a fire LADY to, ahem, 'release' some of that stress for ya when you're done with work if ya know what I mean."

Zuko just blushed as Sokka stared at him wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ya, Sparky, isn't it time you got a wife anyway? I thought most firelords got married within a few years after taking the thrown if they weren't married already."

"Well I.. uhh, I just haven't found the right one yet."

"Woah wait. You're telling me that you can't find a girl to marry? You're FIRELORD ZUKO for goodness' sake" Sokka couldn't believe Zuko was having trouble finding a girl.

"Guys, leave Zuko alone. He'll get married when he's ready to get married," said Katara, noticing her friend's embarrassment.

Conversation once again returned to storytelling as everyone couldn't wait to talk about all they've accomplished in the last year.

Everyone that is except for Zuko. He watched whoever was talking for the most part, but he couldn't help but keep glancing to his right at Katara. This didn't go unnoticed by Suki who was sitting directly across from them. She raised an eyebrow at this but otherwise kept quiet.

The group just sat there talking for hours just laughing and having a good time. They only stopped to eat a delicious dinner which Katara had prepared. She could have brought a servant to cook the meals, but Katara liked to cook and didn't really want servants hanging around anyway. After dinner, Zuko did seem to lighten up and get more involved in the conversation. They talked into the night until yawns started to take up more and more of the conversation and everyone decided to head off to bed.

They headed upstairs and Sokka and Suki made their way to their bedroom at the end of the hall. Aang turned into his room that was the last room on the right and Toph entered hers that was right across from Aang's.

Katara stayed downstairs and decided to do some dishes and Zuko decided to stay down and help her.

"Well that sure was an exciting day wasn't it Zuko?"

He just made an agreeing "hm"

They stood there washing dishes in a comfortable silence until Katara spoke up. "You shouldn't take what my brother and Toph say too seriously ya know."

Zuko's reply was simply a confused look.

She clarified,"You shouldn't feel any pressure to find a wife right away"

"Toph is right though. Usually the firelord would have a wife to help him rule by now."

"Well I don't think you should get married until you find a woman who is perfect for you."

"Oh really? And what do you think that woman would be like?"

She thought about this for a moment. "Well, she would be someone who makes you laugh. She needs to be stubborn enough to be able to handle your tantrums but not too stubborn."

"I do not have tantrums!"

She just gave him a look and he stopped his arguments.

"Anyway, she should also be kind and compassionate but authoritative enough to let people know that she means business."

He just stood there and thought to himself, _"I wonder if she realized she just described herself."_

There was another long silence until the dishes were finished and it was time to go to bed like everyone else. They headed upstairs and before they went to their separate bedrooms, they turned to each other.

"If you really want to find the perfect girl, don't listen to Sokka and use your power as firelord to get her to love you. Show who you really are, because that's what will make the right girl fall in love with you. Not the power and fame."

He just smiled down at her. "Thanks Katara."

She gave him a quick hug. "Goodnight Zuko."

"Goodnight"

As soon as Zuko was in his room, he flopped onto the bed and sighed.

"_She's way too good for me."_


	2. Chapter 2

Katara woke up to the soft early morning light pouring in through her curtains and knew today was going to be a great day. She threw off her red silk covers and made her way to the wardrobe on the other side of the room. As she threw on her clothes, ideas of activities to do with her friends flew through her mind.

As soon as she had gotten herself ready for the day she made her way downstairs. If things were the same as when they were all traveling together, everyone would still be sleeping and she would have some time to relax and have a nice cup of tea.

She made her way into the kitchen and was slightly startled when she bumped into Zuko.

"Oh, good morning. I didn't expect anyone to be up."

He looked at her with a slightly amused face, "Well you see, I'm this thing called a firebender. We tend to wake up when the sun rises."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, "A firebender? Never heard of it, maybe you could explain it to me some time."

He just smiled as he made his way over to the couch with the pot of tea he just made.

She followed behind and took a seat beside him on the couch, "I'm actually glad you're up. Now I don't have to make my own tea."

She reached for the tea but he was faster and pulled it out of her reach at the last second, "Hmm, I don't remember you asking if you could have some tea."

She rolled her eyes as she sarcastically said, "Please may I have some tea oh great Firelord Zuko?

He looked thoughtful for a moment then replied, "No"

She gaped at him and then made a swipe for the tea but he held it up and behind him where she couldn't reach.

He laughed as she kept trying to reach for the pot until eventually, she was stretched out and mostly on top of him. Katara was completely oblivious to their close proximity, but it didn't go unnoticed by Zuko.

He blushed slightly, and then smoothly slid out from under the girl and stood up but she quickly followed behind and made another reach for the pot, this time knocking it from his hand. There was a loud crash and they both stood there for a few seconds looking at the tea, now spilled all over the floor.

In a matter of moments, Suki and Aang were on their way down the stairs. Suki had her fans and Aang had his staff and they we're both looking around for any signs of danger.

Katara had to hide a giggle behind her hand at the sight of Aang and Suki in their pajamas, ready for action. "It's ok guys. Zuko just dropped the tea pot."

Zuko gave her an incredulous look. "Well it would be easier to hold on to if I didn't have someone attacking me for it."

Katara just shrugged in response. Suki and Aang lowered their weapons and gave the pair unamused looks.

"Well I'm gonna get dressed and wake up Sokka," Suki said as she started back up the stairs.

Aang slowly followed behind her, "I'll wake up Toph. Or at least I'll try anyway."

Sighing, Zuko made his way back to the kitchen, "I guess I'll get started on some more tea." He would have to make more this time since everyone was awake now.

"Okay, I'll clean up the mess," Katara called back as she waterbended the spilled tea into a nearby plant. She was just picking up the last pieces as Suki and Aang bounded down the stairs with a drowsy Sokka and Toph stumbling down behind them.

They all gathered around the table in the dining room as Zuko set the new tray of tea down.

"So what's the plan for today?" Suki said as she sipped her tea.

"I know! Let's spar and we can have a tournament and whoever wins gets to be served by everyone else for the rest of the day!" Aang said excitedly, almost knocking the tea over.

Toph, groaningly said, "Come on twinkletoes, I get enough of that back home. Let's do something fun."

"Ya and besides, you just want to do that because you know you'll win!" Sokka added.

"Well what do you guys suggest huh?

"I was thinking maybe we could have a picnic by the beach and spend the day there." Katara suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea," Zuko added cheerfully.

"Let's do it! Ever since I moved to the South Pole with Sokka, one of the things I miss the most is going to the beach."

"Sounds fun to me," announced Aang.

Sokka never passes up the opportunity to see Suki in a bikini so he had no objections.

Everyone turned to look at Toph who was sipping her tea. She shrugged and nonchalantly said, "I guess it beats sparring."

Everyone cheered as Katara announced, "So it's settled. After breakfast, me and Suki will prepare the food and then we'll head to the beach."

* * *

It didn't take long for everyone to get a quick breakfast and eat it. Katara and Suki were already preparing the sandwiches for later.

They worked in silence until Suki spoke up, "So do you like living at the palace with Zuko?"

"Oh it's great! It took a while to get used to be served upon by people, but I did eventually and the palace and the courtyards are just beautiful."

"Well that's great, but I meant do you like spending so much time with Zuko."

"Of course I do. We've really gotten close, especially over the last couple years."

"So.. is there something going on between you guys?"

Katara looked shocked at Suki for a second before laughing. "Of course not. Zuko's my best friend. I don't want that to change."

Suki just nodded and returned her attention back to the sandwiches and they worked in silence until they were almost done.

"Ya know, Katara, Sokka is my best friend."

Katara tilted her head with a confused look on her face.

"I'm just saying, a person can be your best friend and still be more than that."

Suki packed the last sandwich into the basket and left Katara to think about what she just said.

"_Please realize what you have before it's too late, Katara."_

* * *

Katara had given the basket and supplies to the guys, who had already changed into their trunks, so they could set up.

She was now looking at herself, examining the sky blue bikini she was wearing, in the full size mirror that hung on the wall in her room. She frowned as she looked at her butt in the mirror. _"I really gotta lay off the dango when I get home."_

She heard Toph yell from downstairs, "Hurry up Sugar Queen, let's go!"

She quickly grabbed her silk cover up and ran down the stairs to Suki and Toph and they all headed down to the beach together.

When they reached the beach, Sokka and Aang were having a sandcastle building contest. Sokka was once again attempting to build a sand version of Suki while Aang used his bending to make a huge sand version of the Northern Air Temple.

"That's amazing, Aang!"

Zuko's eyes shot open at the sound of Katara's voice and he quickly sat up from where he was lying on the giant blanket they had laid out.

"Thanks, Katara," Aang said with a huge grin plastered on his face.

Toph went over to criticize Sokka on his sand sculpture. Something about, "I can't even see very well in sand I can tell that looks nothing like Suki."

Katara ignored Sokka's angry protests to Toph's statement and made her way to the sea. She bended some water to her and formed a surf board made of ice. After stripping off her cover up, she headed out to sea with her board.

While she did this, Zuko watched from his spot on the beach and he watched as she rode wave after wave and didn't seem to notice the world around him. He noticed that she wasn't exactly thin. She had more muscle tone than most of the women he knew, yet she remained slender and very feminine.

He hadn't even realized how long he had just been sitting there watching her surf.

"Enjoying the view?"

He nearly left the ground when he heard that. He hadn't even noticed Suki take a seat next to him on the blanket.

She watched him with amusement as he tried to get his heart rate to return to normal.

"You've just been sitting there for about an hour ya know."

"Oh, I.. uh, I was just admiring how beautiful the sea was."

Suki turned to him with an unconvinced look. "The sea. Riiight"

Zuko blushed and turned away in embarrassment.

"Ya know I may not be a powerful bender or anything, but one of the things I'm good at is reading people."

"Really?"

"Yup, and I can tell that you have it bad for Katara."

"That noticeable huh?"

Suki just shrugged, "Not really. I actually wasn't completely sure. But I am now," she said with a huge grin.

Zuko's blush started to spread. "You aren't gonna say anything are you?"

"No, but I think you should."

Zuko let a pathetic laugh escape his mouth. "I'm nothing more than a friend to her."

"And that's all you'll ever be if you don't try to change it."

"How am I supposed to change that?"

She thought for a second before replying, "I'm not sure, but I'm gonna help you." And she was up and walking over to Sokka before he could even respond.

Katara soon took Suki's place and as she was replacing her cover up she asked, "What were you guys talking about?"

"Umm Sokka's sand sculpture." He lied

"It's pretty pathetic but Suki loves that he tried."

Zuko just nodded his head in agreement and they sat there in silence for what seemed to Zuko to be hours but in reality was about ten minutes. Eventually he noticed Katara staring at his chest. He followed her line of vision directly to the scar marking the area just over his heart.

"You don't have to feel bad about it."

She looked up and met his eyes, "I could have prevented it. I could have just hidden or maybe I could have tried harder to convince you not to-"

"Katara," he cut her off, "I don't regret anything that happened that day. I would jump in front of lightning for you again without a second thought about it."

She just looked directly into his eyes with tears threatening to fall from hers. "I'll heal it one day."

He looked at her confused, "What?"

"If we ever make it to the Northern Water Tribe again, I'm sure I could use the spirit water there to heal your scars. Both of them," she said gently carassing his marred cheek."

They just sat there looking into each other's eyes until they were interrupted by the sound of Toph's voice, "Hey, if you two are done, the rest of us would like to have lunch now."

They both made their way over to the basket to enjoy the delicious lunch Suki and Katara had prepared for them. After lunch they went back to playing in the sand and water.

They had played at the beach for hours, even after the sun set, just splashing each other and having a good time.

* * *

It was close to midnight when everyone headed back to the house and grabbed a snack before heading upstairs and getting ready for bed.

As Katara stood in her shower letting the water wash the salt and sand from her skin, she thought about all the events of the day. Her mind kept going back to that scar. At the time of the war, she and Zuko weren't even really considered "friends." Sure she had forgiven him and he helped her find the man who killed her mother, but they were still just acquaintances.

"_He didn't even hesitate to jump in front of Azula's attack for me. But I guess that's just the kind of person he is."_

She found it ironic that the man she now knew to be caring and protective of those important to him, she once thought was a heartless monster. It was hard to think about how things could have turned out had Zuko not had a change of heart. She didn't even want to try to think about it.

She couldn't imagine a life without Zuko, and that thought scared her a little bit. Somehow, he had managed to become one of the most important things in her life and she didn't know how to feel about that.

She fell asleep that night recounting the adventures she'd had and all the events leading up to the war and also the best friendship she's ever had.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter three! In this chapter I decided to have them wear western-style clothes because... well I just like it more. Hopefully you guys don't mind. enjoy :)

* * *

It was just after dawn and Zuko was sitting in the courtyard watching the sun make its slow ascent into the clear morning sky. With a hot cup of tea and the sun's warming rays falling on his face, he couldn't be more relaxed. He looked down at the waves gently crashing against the shore and was reminded of the waterbender who had slowly stolen his heart.

He thought about what Suki had said to him the day before.

"_How can she expect me to just tell her how I feel? If it was that simple I would've done it a long time ago._

_With all the things I put her and the others through before I joined them, I'm surprised we are even such close friends. I spent months just chasing them around the world and making it harder for them to defeat my father. If I had just realized how evil my father was sooner, maybe we could've been allies from the start and I wouldn't have all this regret built up inside me._

_But even if we didn't have such a rocky past, there's no way she would want to be with me anyway. I'm always so busy being firelord, I don't know if I would be able to keep her happy. She deserves someone who can spend time with her and treat her the way she should be treated."_

He continued to just watch the sea as he thought of reasons why he and Katara were not destined to be together.

"**Sokka, give me back my cereal before I throw a boulder at your face!"**

His head snapped back toward the house. "Well I guess everyone's awake."

* * *

He walked in to see Sokka dodging random items that Toph threw at him while Aang tried to mediate the whole situation.

"Everyone just calm down. There's no need for violence."

"There wouldn't be a need for violence if he would just give me my cereal back!" Toph snapped back as she picked up a spoon to hurl at the man in question.

Sokka just barely avoided the silverware aimed for his head. "Just because it's your favorite cereal doesn't make it yours!"

"Can't you two just share the cereal?" Aang said with an exasperated sigh.

"No!" they yelled in unison and continued their argument.

Zuko looked over to the table where Katara and Suki were sitting eating their own breakfast, seemingly oblivious to the chaos going on behind them.

"You would think they would be a little more mature after five years," he remarked as he poured his own bowl of cereal and started eating.

Suki sat her empty bowl down and replied, "I think they actually like fighting. It's how they bond."

"Ya well I wish they would bond in a way that doesn't give me a headache," Katara said rubbing her head.

"So do you guys know what we're gonna do today?"

Katara perked up at this, "Me and Suki were just talking about that. Apparently there's this festival in town tomorrow and we wanna go shopping for some new outfits to wear."

"Alright so you girls are gonna have a shopping trip, but what are me, Sokka, and Aang gonna do?"

Katara gave him a questioning look, "What are you talking about? You guys are coming with us."

"And why would we want to do that?"

"We need you guys to give us your opinion on the clothes we try on and tell us if it looks good or not."

"Plus if you don't go, who's gonna carry all the bags?" Suki added with a grin.

Zuko just rolled his eyes but focused on Katara when he felt her hand on his arm, "It's gonna be fun, I promise."

He looked at her for a few seconds before responding, "Fine I'll go, but you owe me if it's not fun."

She smiled at him and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about how beautiful her smile is.

A few seconds later, Toph, Aang, and Sokka had settled their argument and joined the rest of them at the table. Suki filled them in on what the plans were for today and she was met by a groan from all three.

"Do we really have to go shopping?" Toph complained.

"Ya isn't there something more fun we could do?" Aang chimed in.

Suki rolled her eyes at their lack of enthusiasm, "Don't worry If you get really bored you can always explore the Island some. I heard there are a few new restaurants that opened this year."

"Yes!" Aang and Toph yelled and then gave each other a high five.

Everyone finished up their breakfast and soon they were on their way into town.

* * *

They had only been in town for five minutes before Toph and Aang wandered off to explore the island. Now it was just Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Suki walking down the street together.

It wasn't long before Suki spotted a clothing store just up ahead, "Hey look, we should start there!"

Suki and Katara strode happily into the store with the two boys following slowly behind with considerably less enthusiasm. When they entered the store, a cheery woman greeted them with a warm smile, "Hello, is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Yes, actually, we are looking for some new outfits for the festival tomorrow," Suki told the woman.

"Ah yes, shall we pick out some choices for the two handsome young men first?"

Zuko and Sokka both looked up at this, "Whoa, whoa, wait. I thought we were just here for you two to try on some dresses!"

"Well you didn't expect me to get all dressed up and then show up with you in your water tribe outfit, did you Sokka?" Suki folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at him until he knew he had no other choice.

"Well I'm not going with anyone so I don't need anything," Zuko said as he started walking towards a nearby seat, only to be pulled back by his collar.

"Ohhh no you don't. If you don't dress up I am not walking with you and then you'll be left all alone with Toph and Aang," Katara glared as she finished her statement. An audible gulp could be heard as Zuko finally gave in and they all followed the woman through the store.

As they walked by all the clothes, the woman grabbed clothes from racks and tossed them back at either Sokka or Zuko for them to hold. By the time they made it to the fitting rooms, they were each holding a small mountain of clothing.

"Here are our fitting rooms. If you need any assistance, you can find me at the front of the store," and with that the woman turned to leave.

Suki turned back with an excited grin, "All right boys, let's get started!"

Zuko and Sokka both gave one last groan before carrying their large piles of clothes into their changing rooms.

The guys had been trying on clothes for nearly an hour now. They would try on an outfit and exit the changing room only to be met by disapproving looks from both Suki and Katara. Some of the outfits really weren't that bad, but none of them were perfect.

After what must have been the fiftieth outfit he'd tried on had been rejected, Sokka couldn't take anymore, "Would you two just pick something already! There had to be a least one outfit in here that you liked! It's just a festival, it's not like we're going to some fancy shmancy ball at Zuko's palace or something!...crazy women" He added the last part under his breath.

Suki's eyebrow started to twitch slightly. "What was that about women, Sokka?"

Sokka gulped, "Oh nothing." He might have been able to face down countless fire nation soldiers, but one thing that never failed to scare him was a mad Suki.

"Ya that's what I thought. Now go try on something else."

Sokka scurried into the changing room as Katara and Suki tried to hold back giggles. Nothing beats messing with Sokka.

Just then Zuko came out for the next outfit to be evaluated. He hated doing this. He hated it with all of his being, but if it made Katara happy, he was willing to sacrifice.

"Nope, that's no good."

Zuko hung his head in defeat, "When is this ever going to end?"

He made his way back to his changing room to resume this sick form of torture while Katara and Suki chatted about where they should go for lunch.

Suki's eyes went wide when Sokka came out of the changing room. He was wearing black suit pants with a matching black blazer and under the blazer was a deep purple dress shirt with intricate embroidering on the front.

"Let me guess, you hate it?" Sokka had already started heading back to the changing room when Suki stopped him.

"It's PERFECT!"

Katara had to admit, her brother really cleaned up nice. But then Zuko came out of his own changing room and Katara had a hard time focusing on anything else.

He had on a pair of dark wash jeans and his shirt was a deep blue dress shirt with elbow-length sleeves and a beautiful yet subtle black design on the front. The shirt was rather tight fitting and Katara couldn't help but notice the way it showed off his body.

She was snapped out of the trance she was in when Zuko asked her what she thought.

It look her a second to comprehend what he was saying, "You look great!" She smiled approvingly and he responded with a shy smile of his own.

Suki left to go to the front of the store and soon returned with the woman who had helped them earlier. After they told her that they had found the outfits they wanted, the process was repeated for Suki and Katara. They followed the woman through the store holding the dresses that were handed to them. The only difference was that they were allowed to look at all the dresses and pick some of their own.

Eventually they made it back to the changing rooms and it was the girls turn to try on outfit after outfit, only they didn't mind it as much. For the most part, they would usually come out and give their opinion on the other's dress and the guys just sat there waiting for them to finish.

Sokka was so bored that he looked like he wanted to die and be swallowed up by the ground beneath him. However, that changed quickly when Suki came out in a stunning dark pink dress. It was a one-strap dress which came to mid-thigh with a flower pattern embroidered with black thread throughout most of the dress. She had a silk sash around her waist tied into an elegant bow in the back.

"So do you like it?"

Sokka's answer was to get up, wrap her in his arms, and kiss his beautiful wife. She giggled as she gently pushed him away just a little bit, "I'll take that as a yes."

As the pair stood there in each other's arms giggling and kissing, Zuko sat leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed just wishing for this shopping trip to be over. He opened his eyes again when he heard Katara's voice.

"What do you guys think about this one?"

When he caught sight of the beautiful waterbender in front of him, his jaw dropped and all he could do was stare.

She was wearing a halter top dress with a deep V-neck and an open back that plunged almost to her lower back. It was made of delicate black lace with a light blue material underneath. The hemline in the front was to her mid-thigh but got longer in the back where it reached mid-calf.

"_This trip turned out to be worth it after all."_

* * *

After they took all their outfits to the counter and paid for all of their new clothes, they started walking to a popular restaurant just a few blocks away. They had a quick lunch before heading out to look for Toph and Aang.

As they walked, a thought occurred to Katara, "Do you think we should've gotten them something to wear tomorrow?"

Sokka looked at her before saying, "Do you think they would've worn them if we had?"

She laughed, "Probably not."

"Exactly."

They continued their search but couldn't find their two youngest friends anywhere. They had been looking for hours and there was still no sign of them. It wasn't until the sun had already almost completely set that they spotted Aang in a large fountain bending the water into different shapes for the kids who had gathered around him. Toph was sitting on the edge looking bored since she couldn't see anything he was doing.

Sokka yelled out to them, "Hey guys come on! It's time to go home."

Aang looked over to where his friends were waiting for him then looked back at the kids, "Sorry guys. Looks like it's time for me to leave."

Aang hopped out of the fountain, bending the water from his clothes, and made his way to the rest of the group with Toph following behind him.

Once they reached the house, they had dinner together and they listened to Aang and Toph talk about the events of the day. There was much laughing and fun until it was time for them to reluctantly go to bed. Everyone went to sleep wondering what tomorrow had in store for them.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:The festival that they go to in this chapter is a real Chinese festival that I found out about. It's held toward the end of summer so it would be about the same time of year as Sozin's comet and its known as the "Chinese Valentine's Day." From what I can tell the name is produced some what like chi-shi but I don't know much about chinese so I could be wrong. Anyway, this is quite a bit longer that the other chapter so I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

Everyone was up early the next morning. They were all looking forward to the excitement of the festival. Suki hadn't said much about the festival so Aang decided to get any information he could out of the girl.

"So what's this festival for anyway?"

Suki looked up from her breakfast to answer the young monk, "I'm not quite sure. The flyer had a name on it but I don't quite remember it… lets see. Qiji? No. xiqi? Hmm no don't think that was it either.

Zuko stiffened in his seat. "Was is the Qixi festival?"

Suki perked up when he said this, "Ya that's it! Do you know what it's about?"

"I'm not going," was Zuko's only answer as he got up and went outside into the courtyard. Everyone sat at the table confused about Zuko's sudden change in mood until Katara got up and followed him outside.

She quietly made her way to the bench he was sitting at and took a seat next to him, "Is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine." He said this but it was obvious from the way he spoke and the way he sat with his arms crossed over his chest that it was a lie.

She grabbed his chin and forced her to look at him, "What is this festival about? You obviously know what it is and there's something about it that bothers you."

He looked at the ground but answered, "It's just a stupid romantic holiday held on Ember Island and I don't have anything against with the festival itself, but it's always filled with lovey dovey couples walking around holding hands."

Katara just looked at him confused, "What's wrong with that?"

"I don't know I just always hated this festival when I was younger. I guess it just always made me feel… lonely."

He mumbled the last word and Katara could see the pink tint on his face, even with it turned away from her, "Well you don't have to be lonely this time. You have all of us with you!" She gave him a wide smile at this.

He looked at her with a slight frown, "That's not exactly gonna help this kind of loneliness. Everyone else is gonna have a date. Suki and Sokka are obviously gonna go together and I have a feeling that there's something going on between Toph and Aang."

A look of understanding passed over Katara's feature as he spoke as she realized the problem. "Well.. I don't have anyone to go with either. Me and you can go together as friends so that we both have a date!"

Zuko chuckled bitterly at the word 'friends.' Oh how he hated that word right now! But looking at Katara with that wide grin on her face, he couldn't help but smile. "You sure you wanna spend the whole day with me?"

"Are you crazy? I love spending time with you!"

He gave a slight smirk at hearing her say that, "Good to know."

Katara turned to see her friends at the door trying to hear the conversation. "We should probably head back in" and so they both headed back in the house.

When they entered, Suki asked Zuko a second time what the festival was and this time he gave a real answer, "It's just some holiday where couples have an excuse to walk around holding hands and to kiss in public."

Aang's eyebrows raised when he heard this. "Wait so this is like a romantic thing? Does that mean we need a date?" Zuko nodded his head and Aang quickly took a hold of the hand of the earthbender standing beside him. "Then I call Toph!"

Toph yanked her hand from his grasp, "You moron! You can't just call me! You have to at least ASK me if I wanna go with you!"

Aang didn't quite seem to understand why but chose not to argue. "Okaay, Toph, will you go as my date to the festival?"

The earthbender smiled before giving him a firm punch in the arm almost knocking him off balance, "Sure, twinkletoes, why not."

Aang stood there rubbing his arm but smiling all the same. Then he looked to Katara and Zuko. "So what are you two gonna do?"

Zuko blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well uh.. we're just gonna go together. But just as friends!" He added the last part quickly when he saw the smirk appear on Suki's lips.

Katara nodded her head in agreement. "Yup but we're probably gonna end up all staying together anyway right?" When she said this she glanced up at the firebender standing next to her. She thought she saw something like disappointment flash across his face, but she soon dismissed it.

They waited until it was late in the afternoon to head into town. They could've gone earlier, but Zuko said that most of the activities weren't until later, so they just decided to wait.

* * *

When they finally did enter the town, the streets were crowded with couples and they saw many temporary stalls set up along the side of the rode. Some them looked like they would be game booths, some appeared to be food vendors, and then there were some fill with red roses and stuffed animals.

It annoyed Zuko to see how happy all the couples were together. He was the fire lord and could have almost anything except for the one thing he truly wanted. All he asks for is a happy relationship with the girl he loves. For Agni's sake, couldn't he just have this one thing?

He looked over to his left at the waterbender who consumed his thoughts lately. From the side, he could just barely see her bright blue eyes.

"_If I had to pick my favorite thing about her, I think it would be her eyes"_

Just as he thought this, she turned her head to meet his gaze and he could swear his heart stopped for a second when her eyes met his. _"Oh ya, definitely her eyes."_

Just as he was about to say something, he was cut off by Suki "Hey guys, look over there." Everyone looked where she was pointing and saw a small booth with carved melons and traditional dresses displayed. "That looks different than all the other booths."

"Let's go check it out," Sokka said as he started to lead Suki by the hand towards the booth. The whole group followed and when they got closer, they could see that the dresses hanging up weren't ordinary dresses. They had been embellished with beautiful embroidering which appeared to be hand sewn.

While Katara and Suki admired the dresses, Toph was holding one of the melons and was gently running her hand over it. She could feel the intricate dragon carved into the side of it.

The boys were far less interested in the fine items, but a painting in the back of the booth caught Zuko's eye. It was of a man in a field who was holding up his arms, apparently reaching for the woman who was floating in the sky among the stars. It seemed strange to him and he couldn't help but wonder what it meant.

They had been admiring the beautiful craftsmanship when a small old lady appeared from behind the counter. "May I help you?

Katara was the first to answer, "What is all this stuff for? Are you selling it?"

"Oh, no my dear. These are only for display."

Katara turned her head quizzically. "Well then what are they displayed for?"

"Well now a days, this holiday has become a day just for young people to have a reason to be more affectionate. I like to display these things as a small reminder of what this holiday is really about."

"What do you mean?"

"Well we don't celebrate this day for no reason. There's a story behind it which I would be happy to tell you young people. Would you like to come with me to my house and have a cup of tea while I tell you?"

"Shouldn't you stay here and make sure no one steals your stuff?" Aang asked.

"No, no, my husband is here and he's quite capable of handling things." She stepped out of the booth with a cane supporting much of her weight. "Come, follow me." And with that she started walking down the street.

Everyone just looked around at one another, trying to decide if they should go or not. After a few seconds everyone turned to Sokka. He just shrugged his shoulders and turned to follow the woman and everyone else followed suit.

* * *

It took a long time to get to the woman's house due to it being across town and the fact that the woman, whose name they found out to be Yuan, could only walk so fast. But eventually they made it to a very large house. It wasn't nearly as big as Zuko's summer home, but it was still big enough to have its own courtyard behind it.

As soon as they entered the house, Yuan led them straight outside to the courtyard and had them sit on the many benches surrounding a small fire pit. All of their eyes widened slightly when Yuan formed a small fire in her hand and bent down to ignite the wood. After lighting the fire, she turned to the group with a pleasant smile. "I'll be right back with your tea. You just wait right here."

"I wasn't expecting that lady to be a firebender," Toph said as soon as Yuan was out of earshot.

"You're right. She seemed like just a plain old lady," Aang agreed from his seat right beside the earthbender.

Zuko just shrugged, "Looks can be deceiving I guess."

They continued to talk quietly amongst themselves until Yuan came back with a tray full of tea. She was trying to balance the tray with one hand while holding her cane with the other and looked like she was about to drop it when Sokka rushed over and took the tray from her hands. "Why thank you young man."

"No problem."

Sokka sat the tray on a small table nearby and everyone was handed a small cup of tea. After everyone had been served, they all turned to Yuan.

"Has anyone heard the story of the cowherd and the weaver girl?"

They all shook their heads but then Zuko remembered the painting he saw. "Does it have something to do with that painting in your booth?"

Yuan smiled and nodded her head "A long time ago, there was said to be a young cowherd named Niulang. Niulang's only companion was an old ox that went with him everywhere, but it was no ordinary ox. This ox could speak."

"His only friend was a talking cow? Now that's sad," Sokka said.

"Perhaps, but it was not just a talking ox. He was a former god who had broken imperial rules. As punishment, he was sent to Earth as an ox.

Now, because he was once a god, the ox new of the place where seven fairy sisters bathed, and took Niulang there after he had been kicked out of his brother's house. This is where Niulang met the most beautiful sister, Zhinu, who was a wonderful seamstress. The two immediately fell in love and were married. They even bore two children together."

Toph rolled her eyes, "let me guess, they lived happily ever after and that's why couples act so mushy and whatever."

Yuan smiled at the earthbender, "Not quite. You see, it was forbidden for a fairy to marry a mere mortal man. When the Goddess of Heaven discovered Zhinu's marriage to Niulang, she forced Zhinu to return to heaven and leave Niulang and her children behind.

"Now, when the ox saw how miserable Niulang was, he told Niulang to kill him and use his skin to make shoes. Niulang followed his orders and when he was made the shoes, he gathered his children and flew to heaven so he could be reunited with his wife."

"Aww that's so sweet!" Suki said. "Well except for the whole getting slaughtered thing."

"Yes, it was sweet, but the Goddess of Heaven discovered his plan and was very upset. She took her hairpin and slashed it through the sky, creating the Milky Way, and separating the two lovers forever.

"That's terrible! Why would anyone do that? I mean just because he was considered 'lower' than her, they can"t be happy?" Katara was used to being looked down on by the noblemen in the palace and couldn't stand it when people were judged based on where they grew up or how much money they made.

Yuan simply nodded her head, "Yes, it is very sad indeed. That is why it is said that once every year, on this day, all the magpies in the world take pity on them and gather and form a giant bridge so that the two lovers can spend one day with each other."

"That still doesn't change the fact that he can't be with his wife just because he's a cowherd. It's not right"

"You're right. But if I couldn't see my husband for most of the year, it would make me value that one day even more."

Katara crossed her arms across her chest. She had no idea why this story was getting her so worked up. She just couldn't stand the thought that a person was not allowed to have the one they loved just because she's a higher 'rank' than him.

"So what's with all the melons and dresses?" Sokka asked trying to change the subject.

"Ah, well, long ago, the Qixi festival was a time for young women to show their skills. They held melon carving and embroidery contests. Afterwards the single women would pray for a good husband, and those already married would pray for a child. It breaks my heart that young people today have forgotten the real purpose of this festival."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, we'll always remember it," Aang told her with one of his signature grins.

Yuan smiled back at him, "Thank you dear, but I'm it's getting late. I think it's about time for you to leave unfortunately."

They all stood and bowed to her and Zuko said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Yuan," and they all left the kind woman's house.

* * *

Despite the fact that the festival wasn't traditional, it was still a lot of fun. The gaang spent almost two hours just wandering around to the different booths, playing games and trying new foods. Sokka even won a giant stuffed bear for Suki. She was trying to figure out a way to carry the thing when she noticed that Katara and Zuko were walking just ahead of the rest of the group.

"_Ha, now's my chance."_

She leaned over to Toph and whispered something in her ear. Toph simply smirked before grabbing Aang's arm. "Hey, there's a food booth I saw earlier that I wanna hit. Let's go." The airbender didn't even have time to react before he was practically dragged off."

"_Nice work Toph, now it's my turn."_

She made sure to put on her best pout before turning to her husband. "Honey, I'm kinda tired. I think I wanna go back to the house."

"Alright see ya later." Suki just gaped at her clueless husband. "What?"

She just rolled her eyes before grabbing his arm. "We're gonna head back. You two have fun now!" She called out to Zuko and Katara and winked before she turned, giving her husband a treatment very similar to Aang's a few seconds ago.

The couple soon faded into the crowd and Zuko and Katara were walking alone down the street. Many people had already returned home and so the streets weren't as crowded, but it was still a little crowded for Katara's liking. "You wanna go walk by the beach?" She would much rather be surrounded by the actually sea than a sea of people.

He didn't answer but started making a path to the beach anyway.

It was a quiteet walk to the shore, and when they got there, it was relaxing to walking along the sand admiring the waves.

Katara seemed to be deep in thought, and so they continued to walk in silence until eventually, he couldn't take it anymore.

"What's on your mind?"

She looked up at him for a few seconds before responding, "Would you marry a woman even if she's not nobility?"

He definitely wasn't expecting that question, but it was easy enough to answer. "Yes."

"But wouldn't a lot of people be mad?"

"Of course they would, but it doesn't matter to me. Either I marry someone I love or I'll remain single the rest of my life."

"What if she wasn't fire nation?"

He looked down to see her staring straight into his eyes. "It makes no difference to me."

She nodded and just looked into his golden eyes. _"His eyes really are beautiful. They might even be my favorite part about him." _ It took her a few seconds to realize that it had started to rain.

Katara smiled as she looked up into the sky. She always loved the rain. It always put her in a good mood. As she looked back at the man next to her she smirked. "Race ya back to the house."

She took off before he could even comprehend what she said, but it didn't take long for him to catch up. They ran through the pouring rain until the house was in view. As they approached the house, Katara's foot caught on a rather large rock. As soon as she tripped she knew she didn't have time to catch herself, but she found she didn't need to when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and steady her. She turned herself around in his grip, but he didn't let go.

"Thanks," she whispered, but he didn't reply. He had a look in his eyes that sent a chill down her spine. Before she knew it, their faces were just inches apart, their noses nearly touching. She had just started to close her eyes when…

"You guys better get in here or you'll catch a cold!"

The sound of her brother's voice snapped her out of the trance she was in and she looked up to the house to see Suki beating Sokka over the head with some kind of bread. She looked back at the man still holding her around the waist and saw what she thought was disappointment in his eyes.

Her eyes suddenly widened and she broke free of his grasp and took off toward the house. Even when she got in the house, she didn't stop until she got to her room and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door panting trying to grasp what had just happened.

"_What the heck was I thinking? I almost kissed Zuko. Zuko! He's my best friend, I'm not supposed to kiss him! Not to mention he's the fire lord and it would be completely inappropriate!"_

She was having a hard time identifying her own emotions. Part of her was scolding herself for almost kissing Zuko, but the other part wanted to strangle her brother for opening his big mouth and interrupting. All of her thoughts started to overwhelm her as she made her way to her bed and flopped down on it. She didn't even feel like changing out of her wet clothes. All she wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up the next morning to find it was all just a dream.


End file.
